Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to standardized buckets and pumps used to evacuate such buckets.
Description of the Related Art
A variety of oils, lubricants, fertilizers, paints, stains, and other industrial fluids are solid in standardized five gallon pails or buckets. The advantages of such containers are reduced cost for bulk purchase, reduced packaging, and fewer trips to purchase additional supplies. A major disadvantage of five gallon buckets is that they are heavier and more difficult to handle and dispense fluid from than smaller containers. One way of increasing the ease of dispensing from five gallon buckets is by using a lid-type pump assembly, but existing pump assemblies have several drawbacks.
The typical existing bucket pump assembly 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is designed from a lid of thin sheet steel 12, to fit over the rim of any five gallon bucket 14 (shown in outline for clarity), or any container of similar size, and typically held on loosely with small thumbscrews 16, with no sealing mechanism. Without a means for sealing the lid 12 to the top of the bucket 14, the assembly will leak as soon as the bucket it tipped over (a common occurrence when such buckets are commonly transported in the backs of trucks and other vehicles).
In many cases, the existing bucket pump utilizes a flexible hose 18 with a bent tube on the end of the hose for dispensing pumped fluid. The tube is typically stored in a hole 20 in the lid 12 so as to allow any fluid remaining in the hose or tube to drain back into the bucket. This hole 20 allows for contamination of the fluid by dust, dirt, other fluids (e.g., rain), or similar materials from the environment. Additionally, fluid can leak from the hole if the bucket is tipped over. Such contamination can lead to the waste of remaining fluid which must be disposed of if sufficiently contaminated and/or to the contamination and damage of expensive equipment if the fluid is actually used in an engine, transmission, and the like.
The assembly further includes a pump 22 which is typically a separate unit which is held to an opening in the lid by a clamping ring 24. The clamping ring includes a gap to allow the pump to slide and to be placed of the base of the bucket, but this gap can act as another point of entry for contaminants into the bucket and/or as a source of leaks. The gap is often the result of loose manufacturer tolerances to allow clamping action on the pump.